Cylindrical printing screen supporting means in rotary screen printing machines

ABSTRACT

A SCREEN ASSEMBLY FOR ROTARY SCREEN PRINTING MACHINES HAVING A PAIRS OF PARALLEL CARRIERS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY ABOVE THE PRINTING BLANKET IN ORDER TO RECEIVE MACHINE ELEMENTS FOR THE BEARING OR GUIDING SUPPORT FOR DRIVE OF EACH OF THE CYLINDRICAL PRINTING SCREENS MOUNTED BETWEEN EACH PAIR OF CARRIERS. THE PAIRS OF CARRIERS ARE ADJUSTABLE   ON THE MACHINE FRAME IN BOTH A TRANSVERSE DIRECTION AND A SLIGHTLY ANGULAR LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION ALONG ONE SIDE, IN A PIVOTAL OR ROTATIVE MANNER RELATIVE TO A VERTICAL PIVOT AXIS AT THE OTHER OR OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE MACHINE FRAME.

March 23, 1971 w. BbHM 3,572,240

CYLINDRICAL PRINTING SCREEN SUPPORTING MEANS IN ROTARY SCREEN PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 26, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WALTER mm,

1NVENTOR.

BY LAW fi-h mui.

W. BOHM March 23, 1971 CYLINDRICAL PRINTING SCREEN SUPPORTING MEANS IN ROTARY SCREEN PRINTING MACHINES F1166. Feb. 26. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MALTENQBHM.

INVENTOR. BY Madam $111M.

United States Patent CYLINDRICAL PRINTING SCREEN SUPPORTING MEANS IN ROTARY SCREEN PRINTING MACHINES Walter Btihm, Kirchbichl, Austria, assignor to Peter Zimmer, Kufstein, Austria Filed Feb. 26, 1968, Ser. No. 708,318 Claims priority, application Austria, Mar. 2, 1967, A 2,001/67 Int. Cl. B41f 13/12, 15/10 US. Cl. 101-116 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to improvements in or relating to the supporting or guiding of the cylindrical screens used in generally well-known rotary screen printing machines having a pair or pairs of parallel carriers running transversely above the printing blanket in order to receive machine elements for the bearing or guiding support and/ or drive of the respective cylindrical screens inserted between the parallel carriers. The general construction and operation of such rotary screen printing machines may be found in such exemplary prior art US. patents as Pat. No. 3,183,831 and Pat. No. 3,313,232, although it is to be understood that the subject machine need not correspond in every detail to said patent structures.

In known screen assemblies of this kind levers are arranged on the pair of carriers on which rollers for guiding the cylindrical screen are provided. The levers with the guide rollers can rotate about the pertinent carrier axis, which permits an adjustment to difierent screen diameters.

A rotary screen printing machine shall, if possible, not only be adapted to receive cylindrical screens of different diameters, but also should provide an adjustment for different screen lengths; furthermore, the cylindrical screen inserted into the machine should be adjustable in its position in such a manner that the printing designs in multi colour printing, made by several cylindrical screens arranged in the direction of passage of the material, exactly fit or register with one another, wherein each cylindrical screen prints a specific colour.

It is an object of the invention to evolve a device which facilitates the adjustment and setting of the cylindrical screens. According to the present invention this is achieved by having the pair of carriers adjustably mounted on the machine frame.

By providing for horizontally adjusting the pair of carriers transversely to the direction of passage of the material, such as fabric, being printed upon the inserted cylindrical screen can be adjusted in simple transverse direction. By providing for rotating the pair of carriers in a plane parallel to that of the conventional printing blanket or belt which normally supports the material being printed upon, the mistake of mis-aligned or nonparallel design being printed on the screen can be corrected, and an elevation adjustment of the pair of carriers is sometimes required for adjustment to different screen 3,572,240 Patented Mar. 23, 1971 diameter. If, in addition, the machine elements required for the bearing or guiding support or drive of the cylindrical screen are adjustable on the pair of carriers in longitudinal direction of the associated screen, an adjustment to different screen length is possible.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to the adjustable screen mounting facet and are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings without being limited to them.

FIG. 1 is a top view and FIG. 2 an elevation substantially along line IIII of FIG. 1 showing an embodiment of a screen assembly of a rotary screen printing machine; FIG. 3 is a top view and FIG. 4 an elevation substantailly along line IVIV showing another embodiment of the screen assembly.

The screen assembly, according to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, consists of a pair of elongated tubular carriers 1, 2 which are guided at their opposite ends in the bearings 5 indirectly mounted on the two opposite parts of the machine frame, indicated by the bars 3, 4 by means of intermediate bars 3', 4 supposed on bars 3 and 4 respectively and coordinated to each screen assembly. Each pair of carriers 1, 2 forms a kind of rectangular frame as connected with the two connecting bars 3', 4'. On one side of the machine the two pairs of carriers 1, 2 are connected by an additional connecting piece 6 (FIG. 1). On each of the tubular carriers 1, 2 links or arms 7 are provided in which rest two additional parallel carriers or shafts 8, 9. The parts 741 of FIGS. 1 and 2 and parts 36, 37 of FIGS. 3 and 4 (to be described), are considered generally as intermediate guide and support means. On the shafts 8, '9 the guide rollers 10, 11 are respectively mounted which serve to guide the cylindrical screen 12 as it rests between the two tubular carriers 1, 2 upon the material 14 to be printed upon as it is transported by the printing belt or blanket 13. The guide rollers 10 are adjustable along the shafts 8, 9, which permits an adjustment to different screen length on the one hand, andas the case may bea longitudinal tension of the cylindrical screen 12 which is well-known in the art. On one shaft 8, two gear wheel pinions 15, 16 are mounted which serve to transfer the motion between the two frontal gear wheels 17, 18 of the cylindrical screen 12. One of the gear wheel pinions 16, is also displaceable and adjustable on the shaft -8 to accommodate different length screens.

In order to laterally adjust the cylindrical screen 12 in transverse direction, the pair of tubular carriers 1, 2 is axially displaced in the bearings 5 in that the connecting piece 6 is displaced by means of the spindle 20 provided on the connecting bar 3' and driven in a conventional manner by the hand wheel 19.

The pair of tubular carriers 1, 2 can be rotated in a plane parallel to that of the printing blanket by a slight angle in that the connecting bar 4- is longiutdinally displaceable in the cam groove 21 formed on the machine bar 4; thus the pair of frame tubes 1, 2 can be shifted to pivot slightly about the vertical axis 22. For this purpose the nut thread element 23 of the spindle 20 is also rotatably mounted or pivotal around the axis 22 on the connecting piece 6. The bearing play of the tubular carriers 1, 2 in the bearing 5 is sufiicient for the required slight rotations or angular adjustment of the tubular carriers. Furthermore, the bearings 5 can have a resiliently mounted lining to accommodate the aforesaid adjustment adjusted longitudinally. The connection bar 4' is by means of the spindle 25 driven by the hand wheel 24.

The elevation adjustment of the pair of tubular carriers is obtained in the representative embodiment by adjustable first support means in that the machine bars 3, 4 which preferably extend the Whole length of the machine are raised or lowered, by means which involves a simultaneous elevation adjustment of the pairs for carriers 1, 2 of all screen assemblies of the machine. The elevation adjustment of the machine bars 3, 4 is obtained by means of vertical threaded spindles 26 whose nut threads are formed in worm wheels 27 which are driven by screws 28 resting on shafts 29, 30 which run in longitudinal direction of the machine. Both shafts 29, 30 are driven by a common driving motor 31 through a transverse shaft 32 and approximately placed bevel gears 33.

In order to automate this elevation adjustment a cam 34 is mounted on the shaft 30 which impulses a counter per each rotation. Between the counter 35 and the motor 31 a switch is provided which switches off the motor when a specific, predetermined number of impulses corresponding to a specific elevation adjustment is attained.

The embodiment according to FIG. 3 and 4 differs from that according to FIGS. 1 and 2 in that the screen holders have the form of bridges 36, 37 which are mounted on the two tubular carriers 1, 2. One bridge 37 is adjustable on the tubular carriers 1, 2 and thus permits the adjustment to different screen lengths and the axial support or longitudinal tension of the cylindrical screen 12. The adjustment of guide rollers in FIGS. 1 and 2, and of the bridge 37 in FIGS. 3 and 4, constitute second adjustable means directly slidably connected with said carriers and operatively connected with the rotary screen. For the rest, the construction and adjustment device of the screen aggregate or assembly according to FIGS. 3 and 4 are identical to those according to FIGS. 1 and 2, and need not be repeated.

It is apparent from the foregoing that an improved mounting and adjustment for the rotary screens has been evolved which will provide relative adjustment of the rotary screens relative to each other and to the machine frame, at least partially or to a limited extent in each of the three dimensions, vertically, transversely and longitudinally.

What I claim is:

1. A rotary screen mounting and adjusting assembly for use with and in combination with a rotary screen printing machine which machine normally includes a longitudinally extended machine frame, rotary screen means including at least one cylindrical rotary screen having a screen axis transverse to the longitudinal direction of the machine, a longitudinally extended endless printing and screen support blanket or belt to support the material to be printed upon and to at least partially support the rotary screen which is disposed above said frame and blanket in conjunction with other support means, said mounting and adjusting assembly comprising:

(a) a pair of elongated, parallel bar carriers (1, 2) extending transversely of and above the printing blanket;

(b) adjustable first support means (4, 6; 2630) for mounting at opposite sides of said machine and frame, which means operatively connect with and adjustably support said bar carriers which provide both vertical and lateral transverse movement relative to said blanket and frame, said vertical adjustment permitting accommodation of different diameter screens and different thickness of printing material;

(c) lateral shifting means (6, 19, 20, 22, 23) connected with said bar carriers for effecting lateral shifting movement of said carriers transversely to the direction of said printing blanket and frame;

(d) intermediate guide and support means (7-11; 36, 37) including second adjustable means (10; 37) operatively connected with said bar carriers and screen for guiding and at least partially supporting said screen in an operative condition;

(c) said second adjustable means (10; 37) being slidable on and relative to said bar carriers for accommodating screens of different widths; and

(f) angular adjusting means (4, 22, 24, operatively connected with said adjustable first support means in paragraph (b) and with said bar carriers of paragraph (a) to effect angular orientation of the rotary screen by angular movement of the bar carriers, and accordingly the screen axis in a plane parallel to the plane of the printing blanket.

2. The assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said adjustable support means for said bar carriers include bearings on opposite sides of said frame supporting generally end portions of said carriers which may be shifted within said bearings.

3. The assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the intermediate means of paragraph ((1) include a second pair of carriers in the form of similar elongated shafts supported parallel to each other and to the respective firstmentioned carriers, the support being by connecting link arms interconnecting same; and the first-mentioned bar carriers are connected in rectangular form by intermediate frame bars (3', 4) extending longitudinally of and superposed upon the opposite sides of said machine frame.

4. The assembly as defined in claim 3 further including means (24, 25), and means (21) operatively interconnecting a portion of the frame and one of the connecting intermediate frame bars (4) arranged on the machine frame to constitute at least in part adjustable guide means and displaceable movement of said intermediate bar (4) in the longitudinal direction of the machine.

5. The assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said pair of bar carriers has an additional connecting piece (6) adjacent one side of the machine frame which piece is firmly connected with each of the carriers, and on which additional connecting piece there is a nut thread element (23) for an operative adjustment by a threaded spindle means (19, 20) on said corresponding side of the frame for the axial adjustment of the pair of carriers in a direction transverse to a longitudinal direction of said machine.

6. The assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein each of said first-mentioned bar carriers 1, 2) has an additional connecting piece (6) adjacent one side of the machine which is firmly connected With each of said carriers, and on which additional connecting piece (6) there is a nut thread element (23) for an operative adjustment by a threaded spindle means (19, 20) on said corresponding side of the frame for the axial adjustment of the pair of carriers in a direction tranverse to the longitudinal direction of said machine; and wherein said intermediate frame connecting bar (4) which is displaceable in a longitudinal direction of the machine is mounted on the side of the machine opposite to said additional connecting piece (6) having the nut thread element for the axial adjustment of said pair of carriers; and further including means mounting the nut thread element on said additional connecting piece so as to be rotatable or pivotal about a vertical axis (22).

7. The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the vertically adjustable means thereof include an elongated machine frame bar (4) at opposite sides of the frame extending over the whole machine length, and adjustment means (2630) interconnected with longitudinally spaced portions of each of said elongated frame bars (4, 4) are provided to selectively raise and lower said respective elongated frame bars in a simultaneous manner.

8. The assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the intermediate means of paragraph (d) include two screen holders (36, 37) mounted on the tubular carriers and bridging said carriers in a transversal direction thereof, at least one of said screen holders (37) being displaceable and adjustable in the direction of the tubular carriers and the first-mentioned tubular carriers are connected in rectangular form by intermediate frame bars (4', 4') extending longitudinally of and superposed upon the opposite sides of said machine frame.

9. The assembly as defined in claim 8 further including means (21, 24, 25) operatively connected with one of the connecting intermedite frame bars (4') arranged on the machine frame to facilitate adjustable and displaceable movement thereof in the longitudinal direction of the machine.

10. The assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein sa d pair of bar carriers has an additional connecting piece (6) adjacent one side of the machine frame which piece is firmly connected with each of the carriers, and on which additional connecting piece there is a nut thread element for an operative adjustment by a threaded spindle means on said corresponding side of the frame for the axial adjustment of the pair of carriers; and wherein said intermediate frame connecting bar which is displaceable in a longitudial direction of the machine is mounted on the side of the machine opposite to said additional connecting piece having the nut thread element for the axial adjustment of said pair of carriers; and further including means mounting the nut thread element on said additional connecting piece so as to be rotatable or pivotal about a vertical axis.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 457,251 8/1891 Breuer 101-269 781,114 1/1905 Wesel 101260 1,411,267 4/1922 Christopherson 101250 1,526,266 2/1925 De Smet 101-127X 2,071,824 2/1937 Engert 10l116 2,206,570 7/1940 Johnston 101-115 3,183,831 5/1965 Zimmer 101-115 WILLIAM B. PENN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 101-189, 286 

